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Choose the Best Chicken Coop Plans

The best chicken coop blueprints require more details than how to create a box space for your chickens. In fact, there are many requirements in chicken coop designs to make your chickens a happy and health egg-laying lot. Visual palatability is one thing to consider when building a chicken coop. The following are other tips you can apply when choosing the design of your coop.

The Importance Of Chicken Hygiene

Cleanliness is one of the most important things you need to keep an eye on as regards chicken coops. There are three things you need to do to make your chicken coop blueprints to make them more hygienic. These are ample space for your chicken, and the ventilation around your coop.

You need to choose designs that are spacious for your chicken. Ideally, one chicken needs 4 square foot of space to itself. It will not do well for your chickens to sit so closely to each other because they will tend to pass on diseases more quickly, in case one of your birds catches avian flu. On the other hand, do not make a very large chicken coop because you also do not want your chicken having space to run around. If you are fattening chickens, it is best to keep them in a coop where they cannot run. A muscular chicken will end up having very hard meat. They will also tend to produce fewer eggs.

You will also need to put proper ventilation in your coop. You do this by installing two windows or screens on opposite sides of a compartment. This makes it possible for the air to circulate around the coop. If you opt for windows, ensure that they are not easily opened. Allows fresh air to come in your coop.

Making Sure Your Coop Is Designed For Protection

Chickens are one of the most vulnerable animals to keep, because they are susceptible to attacks from cats, dogs, and even raccoons. Owls and hawks will also see them as potential prey, to make sure that your chicken coop designs will keep your chickens securely locked inside through the night. Sliding doors with padlocks are best, especially if you have raccoons in your area. Raccoons are very intelligent animals that can open trash bins and other containers easily.

Your chicken coop blueprints can have built-in windows that cannot be opened. These are usually in the form of slits on the sides of your coop.

Assess The Durability Of Your Chicken Coop

When selecting your chicken coop blueprints, make sure that you are using high quality materials that can withstand the weather. Wood is ideal for chicken coops because they absorb heat and are perfect for insulation. However, make sure that you cover your wood with special paint that makes them last under the rain and sun. If you are going to use wire mesh, choose a durable plastic kinds because the metal kinds will easily corrode and oxidize.

Your coop needs to be stable not only for the weather, but also for other animals who might play around your coop at night. They will try to harass your chickens, but if you have a durable coop, this will provide an excellent deterrent against chicken predators.

Other Important Things To Consider In Chicken Coop Blueprints

Now that you have the essential requirements for the design of your coop, you can focus on the other important things like the lighting, perches, and the nesting boxes in your coop.

You can install lighting in your coop using incandescent light bulbs, which are the preferred lighting for chicken coops. The incandescent light bulb is less efficient than CFL lamps, but they are better because they offer a more natural looking light for your chickens. Moreover, light is a crucial factor is you are breeding chickens for eggs. Light stimulates your chickens to lay eggs all year round. Good coop designs have light enough to light their feeding station.

Your designs must also have perches. Perches are also important because chickens want top perch especially at night. Provide a perch in your chicken coop if you do not want your chickens to perch on their boxes for nesting. Without a perch, your chickens will lay droppings on important areas such as their food tray and nesting boxes, which they tend to use as an alternative perching site without a proper perch.

Chicken Coop Designs Summary

Overall, your design should have very practical functions that will cater to the health and welfare of your chickens. Good designs are good for your house, especially when you do not want the coops to ruin the overall appearance of your backyard or front lawn where you will place your chickens. You can save a lot of money if you use the How To Build A Chicken Coop. You can order your designs online, this guide offers easy and high quality chicken coop blueprints.